Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1887-05-06
WHAT WAS HEP
A Doubt as to tho Honesty Of Lit
tie Filippo.

We had Just arrived in Rome. 1t
was ten o'clock Mt night, the rain was
coming down through the darkness
with gentle persistence, and Aunt Bet
sey and l felt bit homesick when we
walked out of the station and looked
about for somebody to carry our
satchels. There were cabs about, but
amt is ''frugally Inclined" and as the
rooms we had engaged were only two
blocks down the broad Via Nazionale,
we had no thought more cXtravagant
than of engaging five-cent porter, for
our bags were too heavy to carry while
holding our umbrellas open.
But, owing to the lateness of the
hour, or some other cause, the usual
crowd of official loitercrs was absent,
and we stood under the doorway peer
ing into the night, feeling more forlorn
every second, and conscious of sur
prisingly little interest in the Baths of
Diocletian, whose crumbling arches
were dimly visible through the rain.
Suddenly there appeared before us n
scrap of humanity, who laid tiny
brown hand on my valisc, and prollcr-
ed his services.
We could not understand what he
said, but pantomime is the universal
language, and we knew perfectly well
what he meant.
Aunt Bctsey said she thought he was
too small. The torturcs which she in
flicted on the Italian language were
worthy only of the Inquisition, but our
little friend either anticipated the re-
mark, or had precocious intelligence,
for he vociferated an eager negative,
and, extending n small arm, begged us
to feel of his muscle, repeating Forte,
signora" with such honest and manly
earnestness that Aunt Betsey's heart
warmed, and she said: "Well, all right!
Come along! 1t isn't very far, and
there doesn't seem to be anybody else"
Her tongue was foreign, but not her
expression. He seized valise with
each hand and trotted off, looking alb
surdly like one of the tiny donkeys
with tremendous paniers, which we
often saw.
ASK him how muchP" l whispered,
our one invariable rule being to make
n bargain beforehand.
"Stopl" said Aunt Betsey, imperi-
ously. "Quanto coSta2
His reply was full of sweet humility:
"Any thing the signora pleases." u"
He led the way, and we followed un-
der our umbrellas; l peeped from I'M
der, but saw nothing on either side but
tall modcrn-built houses and most pro-
sale shops.
was disappointed; I had expected
to be thrilled; every one 1 had ever
read about was thrilled at the first
glimpse of the Eternal City; was sure
there had been great deception some
where, and felt aggricVed.
To be sure, it was like dream for
me to be in Rome at all; me, Lily Ann
Schocken, whose washed hair-ribbons
and patched shoes made me looked
down upon at school by Dollic English
and her set; excluded from their par
ties, and cut at the Sunday-school
picnic.
The whole thing had been so sudden
that left home in whirl of excite
ment, which was only qucnched by sea-
sickness.
Mother was braiding my hair one
morning-it was dieadfully snarly, and
was MAILING good deal of fuss, when
Aunt Betsey, who called about once a
year, popped her head in at the door,
and said: "Tm going to Europe again
next week, and if you like, I'll take
Lily Ann along"
screamed and mother dropped the
comb.
"If you're going to act like that, you
can stay at home," said my aunt, seat
ing herself composedly in the rocking
chair.
II don't know as l can spare my
GIRL SAID mother, wistfully, hardly
Dear mother! / was only thinking how
the girls at school would be overpow-
cred, what airs i would assume, what
frills l could put on! doubted if /
would speak to Dollic English at all. 1
had called them "stuck-up," but / in
tended to be "stuck-up" myself now,
and found it very agreeable feel
ing.
was thinking of these things as we
battered down the deserted street, past
shops that looked as if they had about
one customer year, and across door
ways that opeped into great melancholy
court-yards.
AT length, we turned in at a great
doorway, mounted three flights of
broad stone steps, and knocked at
little dark door. The padrona, or the
landlady, with whom my aunt had
lodged five years before, was ELUSIVE
in her welcome; was secretly amused
with the caresses she showered on my
somewhat starchy relative, never hav-
ing seen her kissed before. After
final sllute on each cheek, she held her
off at arms length, and exclaimed, in
English more minced than broken;
sin re fifer year-a, not-a haf changer"
Aunt Betsey broke Irom her grasp.
and said: al must attend to this boy.
Are the rooms readypn
Isl. signora; ALA realty" and going
to the door. the padrona shrieked "An-
gelicav'
While we waited my aunt questioned
her young attendant, who chung to the
remaining bag as il therein was his
only security for his pay.
HO bore NY nnts italian without